As I watched various journalists, police, psychiatrists and other smart people on cable TV try to make sense of the senseless mass shooting in Las Vegas, an actor in a commercial popped up with a sound bite that sounded downright prophetic:

"How do we get ahead of crazy," he said, "if we don't know how crazy thinks?"

Amen, brother. The TV ad turned out to be a tease for an upcoming Netflix series called "Mindhunter." Set in 1979, according to the advance publicity, the series will center on FBI agents who interview imprisoned serial killers, as one agent puts it, to "know how crazy thinks."

The experts on TV and zillions of us who are watching at home were asking the same question. Everyone was trying to figure out what lunacy drove retired accountant and real estate developer Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, to kill at least 58 people and injure hundreds more at a country music festival.

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Jessica Yerkey (C) who attended the Route 91 country music festival reacts at a makeshift memorial on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 3, 2017, after a gunman killed 59 people and wounded more than 500 others when he opened fire from the Mandalay Hotel on a country music festival.
Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
MARK RALSTON, AFP/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: A makeshift memorial for the victims of Sunday night's mass shooting stands at an intersection on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) looks on as Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo briefs reporters on the ongoing investigation into Sunday night's mass shooting, at Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Route 91 Harvest Festival, a three-day country music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

People light candles and pray at a makeshift memorial on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 3, 2017, after a gunman killed 59 people and wounded more than 500 others when he opened fire from the Mandalay Hotel on a country music festival.
Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
MARK RALSTON, AFP/Getty Images

Candles are placed at a makeshift memorial on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 3, 2017, after a gunman killed 59 people and wounded more than 500 others when he opened fire from the Mandalay Hotel on a country music festival.
Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
MARK RALSTON, AFP/Getty Images

Briana Calderon prays at a makeshift memorial on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 3, 2017, after a gunman killed 59 people and wounded more than 500 others when he opened fire from the Mandalay Hotel on a country music festival.
Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
MARK RALSTON, AFP/Getty Images

Briana Calderon (C) and Cinthya Olbera pray at a makeshift memorial on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 3, 2017, after a gunman killed 59 people and wounded more than 500 others when he opened fire from the Mandalay Hotel on a country music festival.
Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
MARK RALSTON, AFP/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: Law enforcement officials work the scene of the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

Douglas and Sylvia Vick from Texas pray at a makeshift memorial on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 3, 2017, after a gunman killed 59 people and wounded more than 500 others when he opened fire from the Mandalay Hotel on a country music festival.
Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
MARK RALSTON, AFP/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: A view of the concert venue and the site of the mass shooting (right) at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: Belongings are scattered and left behind at the site of the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: A view of the concert venue and the site of the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: A view of the concert venue and the site of the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

Balloons and flowers are left beside the Route 91 festival venue after a gunman killed more than 50 people and wounded more than 200 others when he opened fire from the Mandalay Hotel (background and showing broken shooters window) on a country music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 3, 2017.
Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
MARK RALSTON, AFP/Getty Images

FBI investigators work outside the Route 91 festival venue after a gunman killed more than 50 people and wounded more than 200 others when he opened fire on a country music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 3, 2017.
Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
MARK RALSTON, AFP/Getty Images

FBI investigators work outside the Route 91 festival venue after a gunman killed more than 50 people and wounded more than 200 others when he opened fire on a country music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 3, 2017.
Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
MARK RALSTON, AFP/Getty Images

FBI investigators work outside the Route 91 festival venue after a gunman killed more than 50 people and wounded more than 200 others when he opened fire on a country music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 3, 2017.
Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
MARK RALSTON, AFP/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: A makeshift memorial for the victims of Sunday night's mass shooting stands at an intersection on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: Police tape blocks off part of Las Vegas Blvd. near the scene of Sunday night's mass shooting at a concert near Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: Law enforcement officers stand guard at one of the entrance points to the concert venue where Sunday night's mass shooting, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: Flowers were left on Las Vegas Blvd. near the scene of Sunday night's mass shooting, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: A window is broken on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino where a gunman opened fire on a concert crowd on Sunday night, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: Las Vegas Blvd. remained closed to vehicular traffic near the scene of Sunday night's mass shooting, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: A message about blood donations for the victims of Sunday night's mass shooting is displayed on the marquee of the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 3: A message of condolences for the victims of Sunday night's mass shooting is displayed on the marquee of the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, October 3, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The gunman, identified as Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, allegedly opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the music festival, leaving at least 58 people dead and over 500 injured. According to reports, Paddock killed himself at the scene. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer, Getty Images

Three festivalgoers ask for directions as they leave the area around the Mandalay Hotel after a gunman killed more than 50 people and wounded more than 500 others when he opened fire on a country music concert in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 2, 2017.
Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
MARK RALSTON, AFP/Getty Images

Police return to their vehicles after patrolling around the Mandalay Hotel where a gunman killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 200 others when he opened fire on a country music concert in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 2, 2017.
Police said the gunman, a 64-year-old local resident named as Stephen Paddock, had been killed after a SWAT team responded to reports of multiple gunfire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay, a hotel-casino next to the concert venue. / AFP PHOTO / Mark RALSTON (Photo credit should read MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
MARK RALSTON, AFP/Getty Images

Debris litters a festival grounds, right, in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, across the street from the festival grounds, and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at a music festival. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP

This Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, photo provided by Tom Day Sr., shows his son Tom Day Jr, with Day Jr.'s family, at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas. Day Jr., was one of the people killed in Las Vegas after a gunman opened fire on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, at the music festival. (Courtesy of Tom Day Jr. via AP)
AP

Investigators walk through debris on festival grounds across the street from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at the festival. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP

Investigators work at a festival grounds across the street from the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at the music festival. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP

An FBI agent examines the scene of a mass shooting at a music festival from Las Vegas Boulevard on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. A gunman opened fire on the outdoor music concert on Sunday killing dozens and injuring hundreds. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Chris Carlson, AP

Healthcare workers from UMC Hospital in Las Vegas, get free food on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. Hospitals were overflowing with victims of a gunman who fired on a concert from the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas hotel. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gregory Bull, AP

In this June 6, 2015 photo, U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Charleston Hartfield of the 100th Quartermaster Company poses for a photo at Rainbow Falls near Hilo, Hawaii. Hartfield was one of the people killed in Las Vegas after a gunman opened fire on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, at a country music festival. (Sgt. Walter Lowell/U.S. Army National Guard via AP)
Sgt. Walter Lowell, AP

Flowers, candles and toys are left at a makeshift memorial site on Las Vegas Boulevard on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. A gunman opened fire on an outdoor music concert on Sunday killing dozens and injuring hundreds. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Chris Carlson, AP

Flowers and candles are left at a makeshift memorial site on Las Vegas Boulevard on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. A gunman opened fire on an outdoor music concert on Sunday killing dozens and injuring hundreds. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Chris Carlson, AP

A woman looks over a makeshift memorial site on Las Vegas Boulevard on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. A gunman opened fire on an outdoor music concert on Sunday killing dozens and injuring hundreds. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Chris Carlson, AP

Healthcare workers from UMC Hospital in Las Vegas, get free food on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. A gunman opened fire on an outdoor music concert on Sunday, with over 50 people killed and hundreds injured. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gregory Bull, AP

Jon Davis-Sayles closes his eyes and stands by a makeshift memorial for victims of the shooting at a music festival, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the Mandalay Bay casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at the festival. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher, AP

People leave messages at a makeshift memorial for victims of a shooting, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the Mandalay Bay casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at the festival. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher, AP

People leave messages at a makeshift memorial for victims of the mass shooting at a music festival, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the Mandalay Bay casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at the festival. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher, AP

Crystal Vo, left, and Khoi Trinh visit a makeshift memorial for victims of the shooting at a music festival, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at the festival. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher, AP

A woman visits a makeshift memorial for victims of the shooting at a music festival, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said a gunman broke windows on the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at the festival. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher, AP

A Las Vegas police officer stands by a blocked off area near the Mandalay Bay casino, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at the festival. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher, AP

An investigator works in the room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino where a gunman opened fire from on a music festival Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. The gunman killed dozens and injuring hundreds at the festival. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP

This Nov. 10, 2015 photo released by Dewberry shows Bill Wolfe Jr., in Carlisle, Penn. Wolfe was one of the people killed in Las Vegas after a gunman opened fire on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, at a country music festival. (Dave Huh/Dewberry via AP)
Dave Huh, AP

FBI investigators walk through the scene of a shooting near the Mandalay Bay, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the Mandalay Bay casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at the festival. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher, AP

FBI investigators observe the scene of a shooting near the Mandalay Bay casino, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the Mandalay Bay casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at the festival. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher, AP

In this 2015 photo released by Makenzie Hollar, Bailey Schweitzer is seen in her high school senior portrait. Schweitzer was one of the people killed in Las Vegas after a gunman opened fire on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, at a country music festival. (Courtesy of Makenzie Hollar via AP)
Makenzie Hollar, AP

In this 2015 photo released by Makenzie Hollar, Bailey Schweitzer is seen in her high school senior portrait. Schweitzer was one of the people killed in Las Vegas after a gunman opened fire on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, at a country music festival. (Courtesy of Makenzie Hollar via AP)
Makenzie Hollar, AP

Kris Delarosby, right, and Colleen Anderson, left, hold Charleen Jochim, center, as they walk towards a hospital in search of information on a missing friend, Steven Berger of Minnesota, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. The parents of Berger, who had been missing after the mass shooting in Las Vegas, say they have been notified on Tuesday afternoon that he was killed in the attack. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gregory Bull, AP

Kris Delarosby, left, Colleen Anderson, center, and Charleen Jochim walk towards a hospital as they search for information on a missing friend, Steven Berger of Minnesota, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. The parents of Berger, who had been missing after the mass shooting in Las Vegas, say they have been notified he was killed in the attack. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gregory Bull, AP

Edward Leon, center, arrives at a hospital Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, to check on his niece, who he said was shot in the stomach in Sunday's shooting during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gregory Bull, AP

Edward Leon arrives at a hospital Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, to check on his niece, who he said was shot in the stomach in Sunday's shooting during the Route 91 Harvest country music festival in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gregory Bull, AP

Sally Marshall, with her 18-month-old granddaughter, Charlotte O'Neal, kneels down after they placed flowers at a memorial for their friend Kurt Von Tillow on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Cameron Park, Calif. The Cameron Park man was one of the dozens of people killed Sunday night in the mass shooting in Las Vegas. (Randy Pench/The Sacramento Bee via AP)
Randy Pench, AP

Roberto Lopez, from left, Briana Calderon and Cynthia Olvera, of Las Vegas, pause at a memorial site on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017 in Las Vegas. Investigators trying to figure out why Stephen Paddock gunned down dozens of people from his high-rise hotel suite are analyzing his computer and cellphone, looking at casino surveillance footage and seeking to interview his longtime girlfriend. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Chris Carlson, AP

Roberto Lopez, from left, Briana Calderon and Cynthia Olvera of Las Vegas pause at a memorial site on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017 in Las Vegas. Investigators trying to figure out why Stephen Paddock gunned down dozens of people from his high-rise hotel suite are analyzing his computer and cellphone, looking at casino surveillance footage and seeking to interview his longtime girlfriend. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Chris Carlson, AP

FILE - In this Friday, June 2, 2017, file photo, a security guard, left, inspects a man at the entrance of the hotel at the Resorts World Manila complex, in Manila, Philippines, where a gunman stormed the mall-casino complex earlier in the day. Across the globe, risks of attacks have made tight security at hotels and resorts routine. The most recent major attack in Asia, at the Resorts World Manila casino in the Philippines, shares similarities with the shooting Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017, in Las Vegas. And in many countries in Africa and the Middle East, tighter security has been essential for years. But that is less so in the United States, where hotels are reluctant to intrude on the privacy of guests. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)
Aaron Favila, AP

Charlene Ragsdale pauses at a memorial in Las Vegas, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. A gunman opened fire on an outdoor music concert on Sunday. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, with over 50 people killed and hundreds injured, some by gunfire, some during the chaotic escape. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher, AP

Members of the clergy from left, Dimas Salaberrious, Bill Devlin and Jim Martsolf pray together at the scene of a mass shooting in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017. A gunman opened fire on an outdoor music concert on Sunday. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher, AP

Students from University of Nevada Las Vegas hold a vigil Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. A gunman on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay casino hotel rained automatic weapons fire down on the crowd of over 22,000 at an outdoor country music festival Sunday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gregory Bull, AP

Students from University of Nevada Las Vegas hold a vigil Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. A gunman on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay casino hotel rained automatic weapons fire down on the crowd of over 22,000 at an outdoor country music festival Sunday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gregory Bull, AP

Members of the Denver Nuggets stand as they pay tribute to the victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas, prior to a preseason NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Mark J. Terrill, AP

James Cabrera sits at a slot machine in the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas, Nev., Monday, Oct 2, 2017. Cabrera and his wife, Sonia Pena, drove to Las Vegas from La Habra, Calif., overnight after their 21-year-old daughter Jessica called them from the music festival. Jessica yelled, "They're shooting at us. People are falling, I love you!," Cabrera recalled. Later they learned their daughter escaped unharmed and hid in a bathroom overnight at the MGM hotel until morning. (AP Photo/Anita Snow)
Anita Snow, AP

The U.S. Capitol dome backdrops a column of American flags standing at half-staff at dawn on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, at the foot of the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington. President Donald Trump ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset on October 6, 2017, to pay respect for the victims of the shooting at a country music concert Sunday night in Las Vegas, the deadliest in modern U.S. history. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP

The U.S. Capitol dome backdrops flags at half-staff in honor of the victims killed in the Las Vegas shooting as the sun rises on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, at the foot of the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP

Debris litters a festival grounds across the street from the Mandalay Bay resort and casino Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at a music festival at the grounds. (AP Photo/John Locher)
John Locher, AP

Debris litters a festival grounds across the street from the Mandalay Bay resort and casino Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at a music festival at the grounds. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP

Debris litters a festival grounds across the street from the Mandalay Bay resort and casino Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at a music festival at the grounds. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP

Debris litters a festival grounds across the street from the Mandalay Bay resort and casino Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2017, in Las Vegas. Authorities said Stephen Craig Paddock broke windows on the casino and began firing with a cache of weapons, killing dozens and injuring hundreds at a music festival at the grounds. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP

Rosa and Alan Duarte become emotional during a vigil at City Hall in Las Vegas, Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. The vigil was held in honor of the over 50 people killed and hundreds injured in a mass shooting at an outdoor music concert late Sunday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gregory Bull, AP

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, left, listens to Congresswoman Dina Titus, D-Nev., during a prayer vigil in honor of those affected by the shooting on the Las Vegas Strip, in front of Las Vegas City Hall in Las Vegas, Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. The vigil was held in honor of the over 50 people killed and hundreds injured in a mass shooting at an outdoor music concert late Sunday. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)
Steve Marcus, AP

Pastor William McCurdy holds a candle during a prayer vigil in honor of those affected by the shooting on the Las Vegas Strip, in front of Las Vegas City Hall in Las Vegas, Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. The vigil was held in honor of the over 50 people killed and hundreds injured in a mass shooting at an outdoor music concert late Sunday. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)
Steve Marcus, AP

The Empire State Building lights, normally lit in colors, are dimmed Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, in New York, in sympathy for the victims of the mass shooting in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Kathy Willens, AP

Students from University of Nevada Las Vegas hold a vigil Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. A gunman on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay casino hotel rained automatic weapons fire down on the crowd of over 22,000 at an outdoor country music festival Sunday. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Gregory Bull, AP

With all due respect to those who find the word "crazy" to be insensitive, few other words capture the utter senselessness of the slaughter in Las Vegas. Police say he fired away at the crowd of more than 20,000 from his 32nd-floor hotel suite before he killed himself as a SWAT team broke into his room.

The horror of the tragedy was only compounded by the lack of any apparent motive for Paddock's sick behavior. He wasn't - that we know so far - a terrorist, religious fanatic or mental health patient. He was a "multimillionaire" accountant and real estate developer who liked to gamble, said his brother Eric, and "not an avid gun guy at all." "He's just a guy who lived in Mesquite (a Nevada town 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas) who liked burritos."

It is particularly unsettling in our age of instant gratification and short attention spans to lack a quick and easy explanation for a mind-numbing tragedy.

As we have seen with earlier tragedies such as the Sandy Hook massacre of schoolchildren in Connecticut, PolitiFact reports a wave of paranoid theories and false reports that Paddock was a "liberal" or an agent of the Islamic State flooded the fever swamps of the internet.

At times of great despair, where do we turn for help in making sense of it all? Where do we go in our poverty of reliable information for uplifting calls of sympathy, empathy, unity, courage, safety and reassurance?

For one, we turn to the president. Can President Donald Trump step up to the job? He must. But this is a job for teleprompter Donald, not Twitter Trump.

We all know Twitter Trump. He's the one who responded to a desperate plea from Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz Soto of San Juan, Puerto Rico's largest city, after the island was hit by its worst hurricane in about a century by taking it personally.

"Save us from dying," she said on CNN, to which Trump responded with a blame-the-victim tweet. He accused her of "poor leadership ability" and blamed Democrats for telling her to bash Trump. In fact, she did not even mention Trump by name. But Twitter Trump takes these things personally.

Twitter Trump apparently surprised Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with a tweet saying Tillerson was wasting his time trying to negotiate with "Little Rocket Man," Trump's nickname for North Korea's dictator, Kim Jong Un. "Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done."

Gee, thanks. As if we didn't have enough to worry about, Twitter Trump pokes his Twitter stick at an erratic nuclear power.

Fortunately, however, after Twitter Trump's initially awkward tweet of "warmest condolences" to the victims and families in Las Vegas, teleprompter Trump stepped up later in the day with a well-prepared statement.

"In moments of tragedy and horror, America comes together as one, and it always has," he said, reading from the text. "We call upon the bonds that unite us: our faith, our family and our shared values; we call upon the bonds of citizenship, the ties of community and the comfort of our common humanity."

There was more, but you get the idea. The president can sound like a serious statesman when he wants to. In his campaign he ridiculed President Barack Obama and others who use teleprompters. But Trump should try it more often. Or, at least, he should learn to think before he tweets.